PODCAST · sports
Sportuality
by Religion of Sports
Gotham Chopra is the GOAT whisperer - from Kobe to Brady to Steph, Serena, Simone, AROD, Conor McGregor and more. He’s filmed Aaron Rodgers going deep on Ayahuasca, ridden shot gun on all night gambling benders with Dana White, and played horse with Kobe Bryant. Varun Soni is the University Chaplain and Dean of Religion at USC - the most culturally and spiritually diverse school on the planet. Their respective experience and points of view meet where sports and spirituality collide because both of them are true, irrational, and diehard sports fans. If sports is a religion, then Sportuality is the personalized, experiential dimension of that faith. Each episode plunges into the subcultural safari of sports to mine and excavate the wisdom of that world and unlock practical tools for listeners.
Episodes
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Lessons From The Greatest Athletes Of All Time | Sportuality Episode 21
Today’s episode, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni take the show to USC and go live to discuss the lessons they have learned firsthand from the GOATs. Gotham breaks down what Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Simone Biles, LeBron James, Conor McGregor, Serena Williams, and Stephen Curry do to excel and continue...
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Spiritual Health with Victoria Garrick Browne | Sportuality Episode 20
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni are joined by TEDx speaker and former D1 Athlete, Victoria Garrick Browne, to break down the nuances between mental health and sports performance. How did she realize she needed help? What does it look like to struggle mentally as an...
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Behind the Scenes on Steph Curry’s ‘Portrait of an Artist’ | Sportuality Episode 19
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni go behind the scenes of Gotham’s latest documentary collaboration with Steph Curry, Portrait of an Artist: Stephen Curry. What is Steph Curry really like? Why did he choose to shoot on IMAX? How did they decide to follow just one game?...
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A Clippers Fan Crisis Of Faith | Sportuality Episode 18
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni switch roles. Chaplain Varun turns to Gotham amid a crisis of faith after the Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer salary-cap punishment. They explore the stages of grief and the paths ahead. Should Varun abandon basketball altogether?…
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Baseball Purity with J.R. Moehringer | Sportuality Episode 17
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and writer J.R. Moehringer! Together they get to the bottom of J.R.’s hatred for robot umpires in the MLB. How is it different than the pitch clock? Has baseball gone too far? Have these...
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Defining Greatness with Joe Mazzulla | Sportuality Episode 13
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun honor Kobe Bryant’s legacy and what he meant to the sports world. Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla joins the show and shares how Kobe has inspired him and made him a more competitive coach. How has the Mamba Mentality shaped Joe’s coaching style?...
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Being Spiritually Rich with Mr. T | Sportuality Episode 15
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun are joined by Mr. T and together they talk about the man behind the gold chains: his humble beginnings, his mother's influence, why he created the persona, and what "I pity the fool" really means from a faith perspective. He also reflects on the…
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Las Vegas Raiders and Fanatomy with Dr. Reza Aslan | Sportuality Episode 16
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni introduce a new series called “Fanatomy,” where they break down what fandom means to sports and community. What better fanbase to look at than the Las Vegas Raiders? Dr. Reza Aslan, author of New York Times bestseller Zealot: The Life…
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Fantasy Faith with Matthew Berry | Sportuality Episode 14
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun welcome Fantasy Life founder Matthew Berry! Together they establish how fantasy sports, specifically fantasy football, fit into society as a religion. What does it mean to people? How does it keep people connected? Is it fair to compare fantasy...
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Competitive Fire with Jon Bon Jovi | Sportuality Ep. 12
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun sit down with rock star legend and New England Patriots fan Jon Bon Jovi! Jon updates Gotham on his life since filming Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. How did Jon get through the nine-night run at Madison Square Garden? What happened on...
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Parenting Greatness with Craig Young | Sportuality Ep. 11
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun sit down with Craig Young, father of Heisman winner, number 1 pick, and Carolina Panthers quarterback, Bryce Young, to unpack what it took to raise a great athlete. How was his greatness nourished at a young age without putting too much on his...
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The Paradox of Love and Hate in Sports | Sportuality Ep. 10
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun work through their hatred for the Los Angeles Lakers. How do they see sport hatred fitting into their lives and their children's lives? They reflect on the paradox between love and hate in sports. How can they love their Laker friends but hate the...
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World Cup Reflections with Roger Bennett | Sportuality Ep. 9
In this episode of Sportuality, hosts Gotham and Varun sit down with the legendary Roger Bennett, CEO/founder of Men in Blazers and bestselling author, to unpack the emotional and spiritual wake of the 2026 World Cup. From logging 10,000 miles across America in a big orange bus to witnessing…
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LeBron James: The Chosen One or The Choosing One? | Sportuality Bonus Episode
Is LeBron James a prophet, a mythic hero, or simply the ultimate decision-maker? 👑🏀 In this bonus episode of Sportuality, hosts Gotham and Varun break down the "Chosen One" narrative in modern sports. Leaving behind the traditional athlete mold, they explore LeBron's career through the lens of...
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Sports Grief Is Real Grief with Natasha Sizlo | Sportuality Ep. 8
What happens when sports grief hits closer to home than expected? In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun are joined by Grief Therapist and author Natasha Sizlo to unpack the unexpected emotional toll of losing a franchise player. From Varun navigating the unceremonious trade of Jaylen...
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Soul: Can the World Cup Reimagine a Nation? | Sportuality Ep. 7
In this episode of Sportuality, Gotham and Varun explore the profound spiritual and cultural impact of the World Cup, examining how diverse fan communities have brought a sense of collective renewal to the United States on its 250th anniversary. Joined by renowned sports sociologist and author...
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Communion: Why 3.5 Billion Believe in the Beautiful Game | Sportuality Ep. 6
3.5 billion fans. One game. Every four years. We break down why the World Cup might be the largest faith community on Earth, from the four C's of religion to the Hand of God to Messi as a messiah figure. The holy month is here.
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Revelation: Damar Hamlin on the Life He Got Back | Sportuality Ep. 5
Damar Hamlin died on a football field and came back. This conversation is about everything after. Three years on from his cardiac arrest, the Buffalo Bills safety joins us at Sport Beach in Cannes to talk about the life he got back, and why he believes he never had to become anyone new. We get…
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BONUS EP: Mythologizing Sports Live from Cannes Lions
BONUS DROP: We're on the ground at Sport Beach for Cannes Lions, and Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni are unpacking why sports is the closest thing we have to a modern religion, from Kobe as "the original evangelist" to that surreal White House UFC night.
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Jaylen Brown and the Spiritual Game | Sportuality Ep. 4
NBA Champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown joins Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni live on the Sport Beach stage at Cannes for a conversation about the inner game of basketball. Jaylen opens up about the paper he wrote at 19 at UC Berkeley titled "Religion of Sport," why he tells himself nothing instead...
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Victor Wembanyama: The Alien Goes to Mecca | Sportuality Ep. 3
Victor Wembanyama might be the most unstoppable force in basketball. He might also be an alien. At 7'5", Wemby moves like a guard, blocks shots no one has any business reaching, and spent his off-season at the Shaolin Monastery, training in kung fu and sitting in silent meditation with 100 monks....
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Miracle: Why We Wait a Lifetime for One | Sportuality Ep. 2
Can a basketball game be a religious miracle? After 53 years, the Knicks finally found out. Gotham Chopra and Varun Soni are two true, irrational, diehard sports fans coming at the same question from opposite directions. Gotham is the filmmaker and Religion of Sports co-founder who has been in…
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Suffering: Why We Root for Teams That Break Our Hearts | Sportuality Ep. 1
In the debut episode of Sportuality, Religion of Sports co-founder Gotham Chopra and Dean of Religious Life at USC Varun Soni, take on the oldest question in both religion and fandom: suffering. Varun unpacks four decades as a Clippers fan, the worst owner in sports, and Buddha's first truth that...
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Welcome to Sportuality
Gotham Chopra is the GOAT whisperer - from Kobe to Brady to Steph, Serena, Simone, AROD, Conor McGregor and more. He’s filmed Aaron Rodgers going deep on Ayahuasca, ridden shot gun on all night gambling benders with Dana White, and played horse with Kobe Bryant. Varun Soni is the University...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Gotham Chopra is the GOAT whisperer - from Kobe to Brady to Steph, Serena, Simone, AROD, Conor McGregor and more. He’s filmed Aaron Rodgers going deep on Ayahuasca, ridden shot gun on all night gambling benders with Dana White, and played horse with Kobe Bryant. Varun Soni is the University Chaplain and Dean of Religion at USC - the most culturally and spiritually diverse school on the planet. Their respective experience and points of view meet where sports and spirituality collide because both of them are true, irrational, and diehard sports fans. If sports is a religion, then Sportuality is the personalized, experiential dimension of that faith. Each episode plunges into the subcultural safari of sports to mine and excavate the wisdom of that world and unlock practical tools for listeners.
HOSTED BY
Religion of Sports
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sportuality have?
Sportuality currently has 24 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sportuality about?
Gotham Chopra is the GOAT whisperer - from Kobe to Brady to Steph, Serena, Simone, AROD, Conor McGregor and more. He’s filmed Aaron Rodgers going deep on Ayahuasca, ridden shot gun on all night gambling benders with Dana White, and played horse with Kobe Bryant. Varun Soni is the University...
How often does Sportuality release new episodes?
Sportuality has 24 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Sportuality?
You can listen to Sportuality on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sportuality?
Sportuality is created and hosted by Religion of Sports.
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